Browsing: nfl

The New York Jets pulled off the big upset of the NFL playoffs this past weekend by going on the road and beating the San Diego Chargers, 20-14. New York’s defense, which ranked number one in the NFL during the regular season, largely held the high-powered San Diego offense in check. It turns out that defense has a strong connection to the United States Military Academy. Two Jet defensive coaches were part of Army football in the 1990s — one as a coach and one as a star player. Bob Sutton, the Jets senior defensive assistant/linebackers, was the head coach…

The New Orleans Saints released fullback Kyle Eckel on Wednesday. The former Naval Academy star was signed by the team in October after an injury to starter Heath Evans. Eckel played in five games and had a total of six yards rushing on two carries. He was the only service academy graduate on the roster of an NFL team this season. A 2005 graduate of the academy, Eckel was booted from the service in 2006 and began his NFL career. He had his best pro season in 2007 with the New England Patriots, carrying the ball 33 times and scoring…

No running back in the NFL has been more explosive this season than Tennessee’s Chris Johnson. He leads the NFL in rushing with 1,396 yards and is on pace for a 2,000 yard season and a shot at Eric Dickerson’s NFL record for rushing yards in a season. A former Marine is a one of the keys to Johnson’s success. Titans fullback Ahmard Hall, who served four years in the Corps, is quietly earning a reputation as one of the top blocking backs in the NFL, as ESPN’s Len Pasquarelli writes. Hall, like most fullbacks, rarely carries the ball and…